Why You Need A Pilot On Your Team
Over the past five years, drone technology has become commonplace in surveying operations. Although local companies have been quick to embrace the new technology, most have relied on outsourcing pilots to operate the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), which can be costly and inflexible.
However, as more surveyors see the benefits of integrating drones into their projects, companies are now looking to train their team to take the controls themselves. Upskilling has never been easier with a breadth of new courses specifically designed to turn surveyors into competent and confident drone pilots.
Based in the South Island, Paterson Pitts Group were content to outsource work requiring drone outputs to third parties, but Practice Manager Graham Lindsay says recently the company has experienced an increasing surge in work where drones would increase efficiencies. “We are confident this new side of the business will grow significantly as we educate clients and offer the various applications and deliverables that drones can provide. There is also a desire within the staff to be more involved with this technology and in control of the data we collect and deliver.”
Although no certification is currently required to operate a drone for commercial use in New Zealand, operators do need to follow strict rules set in place by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). Drones are considered an aircraft, and all operators must follow the Part 101 guidelines set out by the CAA. A Part 102 certificate is needed if operators want to fly a drone outside of the Part 101 rules — such as operating unshielded at night, within 4km of an aerodrome or with a drone that weighs more than 25kg. It is important that operators know the rules, especially when flying close to an aerodrome or in urban areas.
That’s why commercial drone specialists Ferntech have partnered with ASMS (Aviation Safety Management Systems) to offer CAA-recognised courses for surveyors. The short courses focus on aviation rules, managing hazards, risks and understanding the legal responsibilities of a piloting a UAV. Tom Goodwin, General Manager at Ferntech says, “We noticed that surveyors wanted to use drones in their operations, but often relied on outsourcing pilots. By training their own team, they can simply pick up the controls and utilise the drone when its needed. It is flexible, cost-effective and empowers the surveyors to use the technology at their fingertips.”
Jeremy Bowler, Engineering Geologist at Gaia Engineers agrees, saying the decision to integrate pilot training into their operations was simple. “When we saw benefits we’d gain, we were quick to say, ‘Let’s give that a go’.”
Bowler took part in the UAS Remote Pilot Certificate Part 101 and Advanced UAS Remote Pilot Certificate, and now attends regular refresher courses. Gaia, who complete work for Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail, recognised that becoming compliant under Part 102 was essential for both safety and efficiency.
“We started adopting UAVs to scan and model highwalls within quarries and mines for structural defects. We take a high-density point cloud of the structure defects to determine where failures may occur. The scanning of a rock face would previously have been done by a team of geologists using a compass and notebooks, and take several days, or even weeks, to fully map. Now it takes a few hours. As mines are inherently high-risk environments, using a UAV allows us to remove personal from standing beneath a steep rock face or on a haul road.”
Through the course, Bowler and the team learnt about operating restrictions that are crucial for flying a UAV in high-risk environments. Those learnings are shared with the Gaia team, including “non-pilot staff”, in regular discussions on UAV safety and operating procedures.
Alongside the Part 101 and 102 course, Ferntech have also partnered with DroneMate to offer an application-specific Drone Surveying Workshop. This three-day course, provides the knowledge and understanding on how to operate the drone for the desired data capture as well as how the processing works through photogrammetry software. Starting in the classroom with theory and training, participants then venture into the field to experience the full process of data collection and analysis. The course is held regularly in Auckland and Christchurch for surveyors and will ensure that attendees leave with the knowledge to use drones to increase productivity and with the confidence to enjoy the benefits this technology brings.
Having recently purchased three DJI Matrice 300 RTK drones plus three DJI Phantom 4 trainer drones, Paterson Pitts Group asked Ferntech to customise this course specifically for their needs. “We have a few staff with prior drone experience, however that did not fulfil our need to have competent drone operators able to fly the Matrice 300, or to fly everywhere we potentially needed. Our priority was to train staff from each of our branch offices in the real-time operation of the purchased drones.”
The Ferntech team flew to Queenstown to take the PPG team through the process of piloting the UAV and processing the captured data. Lindsay says, “It is a testament to the Ferntech training course that we were confident to program and operate these advanced drones on day two of the course. There is still much to learn about post-flight data processing, but we feel we are now able to perform flights safely and legally. Even the experienced PPG staff who had a background in drones were very impressed with the new Matrice 300. It has every feature they wished its predecessor had, making flights easier and safer while introducing more functionality.”
A full list of the available courses:
UAS Remote Pilot Certificate Part 101 — Ferntech & ASMS
Advanced UAS Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 102) — Ferntech & ASMS
Drone Surveying Course — Ferntech & DroneMate
Customised Drone Surveying Course — Ferntech & DroneMate
For more information on the courses available, click here.
To speak to our team contact us at commercial@ferntech.co.nz or call us on 09 399 2084.